SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company, is set to launch the European communications satellite ASTRA 1P for Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES on Thursday, June 20. The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19 but was postponed due to weather conditions.
The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. After the separation of the first and second stages, the first-stage booster is expected to land on the droneship 'Just Read the Instructions' in the Atlantic Ocean.
The ASTRA 1P satellite will provide TV channels to parts of Europe from its geosynchronous transfer orbit. Thales Alenia Space built both ASTRA 1P and another satellite, ASTRA 1Q, for SES.
This launch marks the ninth mission for Falcon 9's first-stage booster B1080. The rocket has previously launched two crewed assignments, two Starlink missions, an Ax-2 crew mission, a CRS-30 mission, and a Starlink 6-52 mission.
The Ku-band satellite will find its geostationary home at 19.2 degrees East. SES contracted Thales Alenia Space to build the ASTRA 1P and another satellite, the ASTRA 1Q.
SpaceX's last launch from Cape Canaveral was on June 7, when it launched Starlink internet satellites from the same launch complex. The next launch could be SpaceX's first Falcon Heavy launch of the year, targeting a June 25 liftoff from Launch Pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center.
The ASTRA 1P satellite is a wide-beam satellite that will deliver superior reliability and unparalleled image quality for broadcasters and content owners in Germany, France, and Spain. The launch window opens at 5:35 p.m. EDT (2135 GMT) on Thursday, June 20.
